On October 2, AMC visited Walt Disney Animations Studios in Burbank, CA, to learn all about RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, the long-awaited sequel to WRECK-IT RALPH. As we walked through the historical studio’s halls, we saw artwork from all of the classic Disney animated films, as well as some of the concept art from RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET and a larger-than-life statue of the two protagonists.
Co-directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston and producer Clark Spencer — the team behind the Academy Award®-winning ZOOTOPIA and Academy Award-nominated WRECK-IT RALPH — began the press day presentation by sharing a few of the most integral scenes from RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET. We were introduced to interesting new characters, the Oh My Disney Parthenon and a new online auto-racing game — all of which you’ll see here, in sneak peek videos and one-on-one interviews with the filmmakers, artists and animators. Read on and get your tickets to RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET at AMC today.
Creating the Story
RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET crashes into theatres November 21, six years after the events of WRECK-IT RALPH. The team took this time to create ZOOTOPIA and come up with an elevated storyline for the WRECK-IT RALPH sequel.
“Ralph and Vanellope are imperfect characters,” Moore said. “But we love them because of their flaws. Their friendship is so genuine — the chemistry between them so engaging — that I think we were all anxious to know more about these characters.”
“It didn’t feel like their story was over,” Johnston continued. “There were more adventures to be had. And Vanellope, in particular, was starting to come into her own.”
In RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, video-game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and best friend Vanellope (voice of Sarah Silverman) leave the comforts of Litwak’s arcade in an attempt to save her game. Their quest takes them to the vast world of the internet, a world Vanellope wholeheartedly embraces — so much so that Ralph worries he may lose the only friend he’s ever had.
“Ralph is in love with the life that he has,” Johnston said. “But Vanellope is ready for a change — she wants to spread her wings a little. That creates conflict within their friendship, which becomes the heart of the story.”
Growing the Characters
In addition to Ralph and Vanellope, you’ll reunite with a few other WRECK-IT RALPH characters, including Fix-It Felix Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer) and Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch). Plus, you’ll meet new characters: KnowsMore (voice of Alan Tudyk), literally a know-it-all who runs a search bar; Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site “BuzzzTube;” and Shank (voice of Gal Gadot), a tough-as-nails driver from a gritty online auto-racing game called Slaughter Race.
Josie Trinidad, co-head of story, and Dave Komorowski, head of characters, share more about the new characters and their creative approach in this exclusive clip.
Because RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET is set in such an expansive world, the artists had to draw and animate over a million extras — mostly Net Users, avatars that represent the people browsing the internet, and Netizens, residents of the internet. They also had to recreate familiar characters and websites, such as OhMyDisney.com.
In the film, the Buzzfeed-like site for all things Disney is a Parthenon, where the 14 Disney princesses (from the 1930s to today) perform and hang out between sets. The sequence, in which Vanellope crashes the green room, was a part of the story since the first script and story reels.
“Vanellope is technically a princess, but hasn’t really been included among Disney royalty,” co-writer Pamela Robin said. “Who wouldn’t want the Hoodie Princess in there? That’s my Princess! I loved the idea of getting her into that club.”
Hear more from Robin and Kira Lehtomaki, head of animation, and see a preview of the scene.
The most action-packed scene of RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET is a wild race between Vanellope and dangerous game boss Shank, on her home turf, Slaughter Race. Scott Kersavage, visual effects supervisor, discussed the steps they took — even getting behind the wheel themselves — to create this high-thrills car chase scene.
Experiencing the Film
While RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET is comedic and exciting, it’s also emotional. The focus is not all of the moving pieces of a chaotic world, but rather the complexity of Ralph and Vanellope’s relationship, which is tested throughout their journey. “Two best friends are about to realize that the world won’t always be the same,” said Spencer. “The internet is the perfect setting, really, because it’s all about change.”
Get your tickets to RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET at AMC today for the November 21 release.
